Tiger Newspaper September 2021

Empowering students to think critically and creatively since 1913

VOLUME 108 ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

IN THE NEWS

SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL 1401 FREMONT AVE, SOUTH PASADENA, CA 91030

PEER MEDIATORS

SENIOR COLLEGE NIGHT

ICEBREAKER DANCE

The wellness group’s monthly zine comes out on Tuesday, Sept. 14 with a growth theme.

Counselors will offer seniors and their families a virtual informational session on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.

ASB will host the first dance of the year at 9:30 p.m. after the football game on Friday, Sept. 17.

CLUB RUSH 2021

STORY HANNA BAE PHOTO SARAH LEE Students congregated during lunch on the numbered walkway to explore around 80 new and returning clubs on the first day of SPHS’ annual Club Rush on Thursday, Sept.

9. Students set up booths on either side of the path and made pitches about their clubs, creating a more engaging atmosphere than last year’s virtual event.

Club Rush gave students, many of which are still in their first month of being on the SPHS campus, an opportunity to cultivate and explore their passions, as well as foster greater connections with one another. Students signed up for clubs via clipboard, Chromebook Google form, or QR code, and each organization will use their lists to initiate meetings and activities for the year to come.

Commissioner of Clubs, senior Lulu Talesnick coordinated the two-day event and was pleased at the relatively smooth transition to a physical Club Rush.

“Clubs have really had to adjust to being online and also coming back in person. There have been quite a lot of changes, but clubs have done really well coming back to school and adapting again,” Talesnick said. “It [will be] exciting to see clubs hold their meetings in teachers’ classrooms instead of on Zoom.”

Even with a myriad of challenges in distance learning, clubs continued to innovate, hold numerous online events, and maintain strong membership. Talesnick expressed that clubs’ resiliency in a virtual setting will propel them into the coming year.

“I think clubs did such a great job of continuing to work last year and they did a lot of things. For example, in the TEDx club, the event is usually in-person, but we worked through it and held it [via] a Zoom webinar instead. The Anti-Bias club too; it was our first year and we did everything online,” Talesnick reflected. “I truly believe that clubs will continue to do a great job.”

Returning clubs like TASSEL and SkillsUSA relayed their mission statements and past accomplishments to the student body, as they work to bolster their well-established reputations on campus. Some clubs, like the Physics Club and the LGBTQ+ student union, were recently reinstated after a few-year hiatus. Other students created brand new clubs like Career Chats, which aims to familiarize members with a diverse array of careers.

Club topics ranged from purely academic like Math and Science Club, to identity groups such as the Latinx Club and Black Student Union, to organizations like the Fresh Club, which is designed purely for inter-grade bonding.

“I’m really excited for new members to join Fresh Club,” junior club president Elaine Lee said. “Especially the underclassmen, because they didn’t [get to] experience Club Rush last year.”

After Club Rush concludes on Friday, Sept. 10, Talesnick will look ahead to the Homecoming Picnic in late October, which is the premier fundraising event for clubs. With the start of the new school year, students are eagerly awaiting the new opportunities that these clubs offer.

AFGHANISTAN Tiger looks back at post9/11 coverage to better understand reactions to America’s withdrawal of troops as well as examining the impact of a 20 year nonstop war of aggression.

JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURES Tiger explores the vibrant and fantastical world of Hirohiko Araki’s longstanding manga series and its stylistic evolution across eight installments spanning 30 years.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL The season is in full swing for the girls volleyball team as they challenged the Arcadia Apaches in the Tiger gym on Tuesday, Sept. 7. They hope to continue their league success going forward.

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TIGERNEWSPAPER.COM

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TIGER SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

NEWS SPHS adjusts to new coronavirus policies STORY MICHAEL MAYEMURA ILLUSTRATION ETHAN LYONS SPHS’ coronavirus protocols, which came in the wake of a resurgence of L.A. County cases fueled by the delta variant, have forced student organizations on campus to adapt and innovate their activities to prioritize safety.

In preparation for reopening, school administration worked to develop a comprehensive safety plan to protect students and staff from the coronavirus. These policies include wearing a mask indoors at all times, disinfecting high-traffic classroom areas, and routine weekly tests for student-athletes.

Despite already existing policies, five coronavirus cases have been reported in the district since school began on Thursday, Aug. 16. At SPHS, both the pep and football teams have been affected by exposures.

There have also been two reported cases at Marengo Elementary School. After a member of pep contracted coronavirus this summer, the team faced tighter enforcement of health and safety guidelines.

“After a [pep] team member contracted coronavirus this summer we made sure to be super cautious at summer practices,” junior Kaile Fernandes said. “Unfortunately, we don’t get tested weekly as we are not considered a sport, but we stay safe by keeping our masks on at all times unless we’re outside.”

Exposures within school athletics have also pushed Athletic Director Anthony Chan to introduce stricter safety protocols for student-athletes.

“SPHS schedules weekly tests for student-athletes around their practice schedules,” Chan said. “There has been a shortage of officials which, along with rescheduling games due to cases of coronavirus, has made scheduling a little harder this year. SPHS student-athletes, coaches, and families have been understanding and flexible, so we continue to find ways to give them the opportunity to compete.”

Beyond athletics, coronavirus protocols alter other aspects of student life on campus as well. In the second week of school, ASB live-streamed the annual SAC assembly to students in their fourth period classes rather than all together in the auditorium. While they are hopeful that conditions will improve, ASB anticipates that future events will be affected as well.

“This year the juniors are having trouble planning homecoming because it has to be outside,” junior class president Samantha Lopez said. “Usually, it is in the gym, but we can’t do that if we have food so figuring that out will be interesting. Although, I’m excited because it means we will plan a unique homecoming.”

Student athletes are continuing routine testing and ASB is preparing to hold the Color Day assembly outdoors amidst L.A. County’s indoor restrictions. Currently, SPHS administration does not plan to amend the school’s coronavirus policies.

Bookshop cafe Waverly connects cooking, culture, and community STORY ANAYAH MEHDI PHOTO SARAH LEE New bookshop cafe and cooking school Waverly made its debut on Fair Oaks Ave. this past July. Waverly boasts an extensive coffee and dessert menu, book selection, and calm ambience for homework or studying, mainly advertised to students from the middle and high school.

Upon arrival, the smell of freshly-roasted coffee grounds meets the nose. The decorations, the satisfying array of the books, and the relaxing, yet rich shade of green present throughout the cafe adds to the serene and peaceful energy radiated in the room.

South Pasadena resident Sandy Olivas opened Waverly, filling the vacancy left by previous business Cookies and Cream. When choosing the location for Waverly, Olivas took its proximity to both the middle and high schools into careful consideration.

“I want to have a cool place where anyone can just come in, walk from school, and do homework or hangout,” Olivas said. “Any afterschool purchases for SPHS students will also get a 10 percent discount.”

In addition to coffee and books, Waverly also offers catering and cooking courses to its customers. A Mediterranean Delights class is set to take place on Saturday, Sept. 18.

Waverly’s opening allowed Olivas to combine her passion for food and cooking with her family’s love for books into a multipurpose cafe. Olivas’ daughter also served as inspiration for the business.

“My background is in culinary, so I wanted to have that aspect in there,” Olivas said. “My daughter and I love to read books and she thought there weren’t enough places where you [could] go in and grab a book. Now, you have to order them through Amazon and get it online. You also don’t see a bookshop cafe very much. So we were like, ‘Okay let’s open a bookshop cafe!’”

Making a positive impact on the community is one of Waverly’s primary goals. With every cooking class taken, ten meals are donated to Feeding America.

“We are very charity-based,” Olivas said. “Our coffee roaster is ‘Generous Coffee’ and 100 percent of their profits are donated. Every month we donate to charity.”

Olivas described Waverly’s opening and business so far as a success. She added that customers have been encouraging and supportive of her mission to bridge her love for books with food and connmunity.

Community clashes over Rialto Extensive renovations of local landmark angers preservation group.

STORY LEXIE DOIG PHOTO SARAH LEE

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reservation group Friends of the Rialto expressed discontent with Mosaic Church South Pasadena’s renovations made to the Rialto during the pandemic. Community members believed the church would restore the theater to its original state rather than completely remodel it.

Building renovations included new flooring and bathrooms, updated color schemes, and changes in the plaster details. Murals depicting Arabian landscape scenes, as well as the Rialto Gargoyle – which was located above the stage – have been covered up.

Friends of the Rialto is a local advocacy group founded in 1983, dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of the Rialto Theatre.

On Aug. 30, a Facebook post by Founding Director Escott O. Norton updated members on the building’s renovations. Though he expressed regret that Friends was not involved in the process despite requesting to help, Norton was hopeful that restoration is still possible.

CORONAVIRUS CASES AT SCHOOL have mainly affected SPHS sports teams, however ASB and their typically-indoor events, have also changed.

FROM BOOKS TO MAPLE SYRUP, Waverly’s wide selection of goods continues on their online shop.

“The vast majority of the changes were made in a reversible way, so some future tenant or owner could change paint colors, uncover and restore original plaster textures and details, and reinstall the raked [sloped] seating.”

Mosaic – a non-denominational church based in Hollywood – has leased the Rialto for its South Pasadena branch since January

MOSAIC SOUTH PASADENA completed a series of interior renovations to the historic building during the pandemic.

2017, and held its first church session there about 10 months later.

During the pandemic, Mosaic began a series of renovations which they revealed to the public in August.

Mosaic did not respond to a request for comment.

The Dominic Jebbia family trust owned the Rialto in the 1930s, before it was sold to L.A. developer Izek Shomof. Shomof closed escrow in January 2015, but allowed Friends of the Rialto to produce several community events at the space in the meantime. These included a few movie screenings, a band concert, and a live Broadway musical.

The Rialto Theatre is considered one of the last single-screen theaters in Southern California, earning it a spot on the National Register of Historic Spaces. The renovations disappointed those who expected the theater to be fully restored. Others felt the theater should have been protected, fearing that the renovations detract from its historical significance.

“Historical places should be protected from being altered by anyone’s ‘tastes,’” community member Lisa Rosato said in a Facebook comment.

“There are so many murals and art works built into historical buildings, it is surprising that [the Rialto’s] aren’t protected specifically.”

TIGER SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

NEWS

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SMART Families: The fight for a safer city Residents collaborated to lead a stop sign intiative at the intersection of Meridian Ave. and Oak St. STORY ANAYAH MEHDI PHOTOS ERIN LEE

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ave Meridian Avenue for its Residents Together (SMART) Families’ decades-long advocacy culminated with the installation of a stop sign at the intersection of Meridian Ave. and Oak St. in July 2021. SMART Families is a local activist group whose mission is to make Meridian Ave. a safer, more pedestrian friendly street for its residents.

Following ongoing stories about accidents caused by reckless driving on Meridian Ave., members of SMART knew they had to take action.

“SMART Families have long paid city taxes and fees. We expect to safely walk, jog, use a wheelchair, or bicycle on Meridian, as we cross the street on our way to work, school or simply to enjoy being outdoors,” admin of the group Kim Carlson said in a Facebook post. “We want to drive on our local streets and turn safely onto Meridian without being involved in a collision. We want to enter our parked cars and back out of our driveways without fear of being sideswiped or t-boned. We want friends’ parked cars not totaled when visiting us. Meaningful, necessary, and immediate solutions must be implemented.”

SMART Families and its advocacy for a safer Meridian Ave. dates back to the late 1990s when the group was formed.

While its mission has remained the same throughout the years, SMART Families now relies primarily on social media, most frequently Facebook, to communicate with residents. What was once a small but dedicated group of volunteers has transformed into a strong, outspoken community organization with supporters across the city.

“As the full name implies, we neighbors are concerned about safety on and off Meridian Avenue: Save Meridian Avenue for Its Residents Together, i.e. SMART Families,” Delaine Winkler Shane, an administrator of the group, said. “We do not have officers, membership fees, or anything resembling an organization. Our collective motivation has been to get stop signs along Meridian, beginning with Meridian/Oak.” Youth and child safety is also one of SMART Families’ top priorities. Meridian Ave. and its adjacent intersections are highly trafficked by SPHS, SPMS, and Holy Family School students who attend the surrounding schools.

Prior to the stop sign installation, the intersection at Meridian Ave. and Oak St. was known to be one of the most dangerous areas for young pedestrians along the street. The SMART Families Facebook page is constantly updated with stories from community members about collisions and accidents at the intersection. “[Meridian Ave. is] a beautiful street that has become dangerous as a large number of vehicles do not obey the 25 mph speed nor yield to pedestrians in the designated crosswalks,” Shane said. “SMART Families does not want anyone (young or old) to become a martyr of Meridian.”

After over 20 years of fighting, the City Council approved SMART Families’ petition to install stop signs at the three-way intersection of Meridian Ave. and Oak St in July 2021. Following a petition garnering 130 signatures by the group and countless emails of concerns from members, the City Council voted to approve the installation with no objection. While the decision comes as a sigh of relief for group members and Meridian Ave. residents alike, it does not signify the end of SMART Families’ advocacy.

Members of the group have also expressed concern regarding the vacancy of Caltrans houses on Meridian

THE CITY COUNCIL’S APPROVAL of an all way stop sign at Meridian Ave. and Oak St. is not the end of SMART Families advocacy.

Ave. Caltrans purchased the houses on Meridian Ave. in 1960 in preparation for the construction of the failed 710 freeway which was defeated by South Pasadena residents. However in March 2020, as the homeless crisis in L.A. worsened as a result of the pandemic, squatters and unhoused individuals frequented the homes along Meridian Ave. In response, Caltrans made the decision to contract with security company Inter-Con and utilize California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers to guard the vacant homes.

This decision sparked outrage among SMART Families members and other local groups who disagree with Caltrans’ methods of surveillance. Community members believe that the city should allow the properties to be sold and turned into affordable housing for residents.

In August, SMART Families met with City Manager Arminé Chaparayan to discuss Meridian Ave. and Caltrans housing, among other things. Going forward, the group hopes to continue advocating for a safer Meridian Ave. for pedestrians, drivers, and residents.

TIGER

4 SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

NEWS

The recall of Gavin Newsom

Not a single day goes by where the Gavin Newsom recall is not discussed at nauseam to the California voting population — especially considering Elizabeth Warren’s ads inculcating the masses to civic participation. But with this barrage of media coverage, it is easy to be confused on what exactly the recall is. In this spread, Tiger breaks down the basics of the 2021 recall: the key players, how it works, and what it all means.

STORY CHARLOTTE DEKLE & KAHLEN MIAO

PAGE DESIGN CHARLOTTE COHEN & TERRY SONG

ILLUSTRATION TERRY SONG

Recall origins: Right wing and pandemic-fueled The recall petition started circulating in February 2020, before the coronavirus. But the pandemic changed the reasons for Newsom’s recall, highlighting his hypocritical actions during the lockdown.

When the petition was initially released, the reasons included Newsom’s moratorium on the death penalty, high taxes, and high homelessness rates. However, with the pandemic ravaging California, Newsom’s handling of coronavirus has become a primary reason for the recall with proponents of the recall including public school parents expressing dissatisfaction with the closure of schools.

Discussion of Newsom and coronavirus would be incomplete without mention of The French Laundry incident. In the midst of heightened pandemic restrictions, Newsom was spotted mask-less and with more than the allotted number of different households at a high-end restaurant called the French Laundry. When photos of the incident surfaced, Newsom apologized, citing it was a larger group size than anticipated.

In addition to anger at Newsom’s hypocrisy, the pandemic helped expedite the recall process. Organizers needed to collect 1,495,709 valid signatures, which is around 12 percent of the electors who voted in the 2018 gubernatorial election and initially failed to reach the signature quota by the Nov. 20, 2020 deadline. But Superior Court Judge James P. Arguelles extended the deadline to Mar. 17, 2021, due to the pandemic. Without this extension, the recall attempt would not have made it to the ballot.

The history of successful California gubernatorial recall elections is surprisingly short, with only one successful recall ballot prior to Newsom. The recall of Gray Davis in 2003 exhibits an eerily similar pattern to Newsom’s recall election — with common threads of mishandling expenses and spiking homelessness.

Newsom and Davis both had to deal with the additional major problem of extensive financial recession p l u s the financial damage

Newsom’s political career

after the “dot-com” bubble for Davis and the coronavirus pandemic for Newsom. Davis was replaced by world renowned Terminator actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The recall ballot includes two questions. The first is a simple yes or no: Do you want to recall Newsom? On the second question, voters must choose a replacement governor. Unless a majority votes ‘yes’ on the first question, the second is unnecessary. If a majority of voters support ousting Newsom, the top contender in the second question becomes governor, regardless of how many votes earned.

The Newsom recall is on Sept. 14 and California residents have already begun casting their votes via mailin ballot. As of Aug. 31, 3.5 million votes have been cast and Newsom has a slim lead over his competitors. But then again, Democrats and Newsom suppporters are more likely to vote by mail so early voting will have a left-tilt. The gubernatorial election budget had been finalized at a colossal 276 million dollars, according to the State Finance Department.

Looking forward Voter participation will play a large role in whether Newsom will be recalled. Democrats almost double Republicans in the amount of registered voters in California, with about 47 and 24 percent registered within each party respectively. If Democrats are unable to band together and mobilize voters in time for the recall, and over 50 percent of the votes vote yes on the recall, Newsom will be removed from office and the candidate who receives the most votes will have the remainder of the term in office. This candidate will most likely be from the republican party, current front-runner Larry Elder, who (if he wins) will implement more right leaning policies, ones which include easing coronavirus restrictions in California among many other things.

Newsom is currently the fortieth governor of California, and was elected in 2018 with over 61 percent of the votes, serving as part of the Democratic party. He previously worked as the lieutenant governor from 2011 to 2019 and served as the mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011. The current governor of California also was under fire in 2020 for allowing over one billion dollars made for unemployment claims to be wrongfully claimed by inmates in prisons.

Gavin Newsom is deeply connected to the four politically powerful families within the bay area: the Newsom, Pelosi, Brown, and Getty families.

Connections between the families date back as far as 1943. Former California Governor Jerry Brown’s father, Pat Brown, successfully ran as California district attorney with the help of Gavin Newsom’s grandfather William Newsom.

When Jerry Brown later became governor, he appointed Gavin Newsom’s father to the Court of Appeals, helping out the Getty family (founders of the Getty Museum) in many financial situations. From there the Newsoms and Browns connected with the Pelosis on business, also marrying into each other’s families. While the marriage later ended between the two families, this still connects Newsom to current House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi.

Alongside this, if Newsom fails to win the recall election, he most likely will not win the re-election either, as this would signify a dramatic loss in popularity and support. In contrast, if Newsom succeeds with over 50 percent voting no to the recall, he will keep his position as governor of California. When also given the history of California reelections, it is very rare for a California Governor to lose a reelection, meaning that Newsom will also most likely win the 2022 election of Governor.

While the success of the recall reaching an election is very rare, attempted recalls will continue to happen to future governors of California as they have since 1960. However, the recall of Governor Gavin Newsom is shedding light on what is perceived to be many unjust things within the recall process itself, and may call for changes to be made within this process.

Larry Elder - R

Kevin Faulconer - R

Kevin Kiley - R

Kevin Paffrath - D

Caitlyn Jenner - R

Elder is, so far, the front-running Newsom opponent at 22.6 percent. He is a self-described “small L Libertarian.” Hence his political views on the minimum wage (there shouldn’t be one), vaccine mandates (it’s the right of the individual), public welfare programs (it encourages “women to marry the government”), and women’s issues (mocking PMS calling it “punish my spouse”) and proclaiming “Glass Ceiling?

Ha! What glass ceiling?”

The first in the trio of Kevins is Faulconer, the moderate Republican and former mayor of San Diego. Faulconer wants to prioritize state-budget funding to ensure access to summer school, longer school days, and after-school tutoring. Faulconer and his socially liberal beliefs, such as being pro-choice on the issue of abortion and support of same-sex marriage position him as an outlier in the conservative Republican canon.

The second and most acerbic Kevin is Kiley. Kiley has been an assemblymember of the California state legislature since 2016. Kiley has consistently claimed that Newsom is capitalizing off of the pandemic to expand his authority as governor. His plan to address California’s massive homelessness problem includes mental health, drug treatment, and making housing affordable.

Kiley is an unlikely winner, not topping any polls.

The last Kevin is real estate Youtuber Paffrath. A selfdescribed “JFK-style democrat,” Paffrath’s homelessness doctrine includes “emergency housing built by the National Guard.”

He proposed future schools, a two-year program for anyone 16 or over that combines higher education and work to create a hiring pipeline. In an unprecedented move for transparency, Paffrath will introduce daily vlogs.

Former Olympian and current socialite Jenner is not a strong contender in the Newsom recall. Many com parisons have been drawn between her and Schwartzneggar, them both being non-political celebrities before entering the recall.

Jenner advocates for deregulation (though non-specific in what she is deregulating) and putting children back in schools (one must wonder where this newspaper is being administered from).

TIGER September 10, 2021

THEESTABLISHED TIGER 1913 CSPA SILVER CROWN 2021 CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2020 CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2019 CSPA SILVER CROWN 2018 CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2017 CSPA CROWN AWARD 2016 CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2015 CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2014 CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2013 CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2011

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OPINION

STAFF EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NOAH KHUN MANAGING EDITORS QUINN MANZO, Print AMBER CHEN, Online NEWS SOFIA ALVA, Editor OPINION SAM GROTENSTEIN, Editor FEATURE GEORGIA PARSONS, Editor SPORTS ZOE SCHLAAK, Editor DESIGN CHARLOTTE COHEN, Editor TERRY SONG, Editor PHOTOGRAPHY SOPHIE YEUNG, Editor COPY ELLIE CAMPBELL, Editor CLOE MAURER, Editor STAFF WRITERS HANNA BAE CHARLOTTE DEKLE LEXIE DOIG MICHAEL MAYEMURA ANAYAH MEHDI KAHLEN MIAO BENJAMIN REGAN RALUCA TUDUSCIUC ALISON WANG ELSIE WATERS PHOTOGRAPHERS ERIN LEE SARAH LEE DANIELA RODRIGUEZ MICHELLE SHADMON SAMANTHA SHIROISHI ILLUSTRATORS ISOLE KIM ALLISON LEE ETHAN LYONS MARTIN WALSH BUSINESS AND ADS MANAGER ANIKA EBBERT WEBMASTER LILIAN ZHU FACULTY ADVISOR KAREN HAMES VOL. 108 NO. 1 DISTRIBUTED ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2021.

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TheSample Democratization of Fame subhead, please end it with a period and center this.

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he website careergirldaily.com sells, for the almost offensive price of $48, a dark pink gratitude journal. If one is so inclined to double both their wellness and their productivity, Career Girl also sells a blush pink journal embossed with “stress less,” and another one that reads “Getting Stuff Done” in decisive red block print. In the sidebar is an article titled “How to Win At Life Like Kylie Jenner.”

This title is so absurd it could be mistaken for satire if not for the deeply serious neutral color palette and the general stone-coldsober-ness of the website. The piece reads almost like a piece of celebrity propaganda, an overly complimentary, pandering defense of Kylie Jenner, that still shamelessly pushes a product.

“Using our brand new Win At Life journal, we reflected on how Kylie structures her average day to find out what helps her Win At Life and get ahead.”

The implication here is that Jenner’s lifestyle is disectable and thus, to some delusionally fractional degree, attainable. Career Girl has distilled the difference between you and me and winning at life Kylie style to a matter of sheer willpower, and a leather bound journal. In other words, fame is democratic now.

Anyone can have a piece if they want it badly enough.

Now that there are ways to access a massive audience essentially for free, the nature of fame has undergone a total transformation.

TikTok has completely blown up in the last year, unlocking a new piece of the realm of parasocial relationships. It feels both dystopian and ancient in its structure. TikTok is based in low commitment and spontaneity. Fame can happen overnight in the form of a lip sync video filmed in a dimly lit bedroom. So, in this way, it feels reminiscent of an Old Hollywood, old money kind of glamor. The dashing heir of his railroad tycoon father’s fortune spots an aspiring actress at a party. After a whirlwind courtship, she’s a married socialite, organizing parties of her own where the very same thing will happen to someone else.

Fame and its appeal can be reduced to an equation. Social capital is influence which means money and, inevitably, some kind of power. All of this means freedom. Joan Didion, in an essay titled “7000 Romaine,” questions a cultural obsession with magnate Howard Hughes.

“Why have we made a folk hero of a man who is the antithesis of all our official heroes, a haunted millionaire out of the West, trailing a legend of desperation and power and white sneakers?”

Hughes amassed an enormous sum of money through involvement in a number of businesses all to eventually sequester himself in various isolated residences in Vegas, the Bahamas, Nicaragua, and Mexico. It’s said that almost nobody saw Hughes and he would work alone in a heavily curtained room for days on end without sleep. In essence, what he bought with his fortune was his freedom. If Hughes wanted to be completely alone, he could because he had enough money to not have to answer to anyone but himself.

Half a century later, fame takes a very similar, Hughes-ian shape. Contemporary fame is still offering the opportunity to collect enough money to eventually buy the freedom to do anything, everything, and often, nothing at all. Influencers get paid to go on tropical vacations and TikTok stars have reality TV shows and an imminent line of leggings with Hollister. They are all “winning at life” in a fashion not unlike Kylie Jenner.

So, in this way, Career Girl seems to have recognized a depressing truth. “Winning at life,” Jenner or D’Amelio style in a culture with a self-delusional relationship with democratic fame doesn’t feel so impossible. I don’t want to villainize Career Girl. She has somehow carved out a niche where she can profit off of what is going to happen anyways. Career Girl is the middleman charging a fee to introduce the aspiring actress to the heir. Maybe we’re all just trying to buy our freedom, sometimes one journal at a time.

Boos & Bravos Tiger ’s cheers and jeers for the month of September BOOS BOO to my school chromebook. How in the world did you manage to break my toe?!

BOO to Texas. No elaboration required.

BOO to Andrew Kowal. You’re not him.

BOO to UChicago’s essay prompts. You’re annoying, not “intellectually stimulating.”

BOO to Hurricane Ida. Why didn’t you hit Florida?

BOO to Spotify Blends. My friends and I have nothing in common.

BRAVOS BRAVO to Mr. Eldred ;) BRAVO to all the guys that have been mansplaining Kanye to me. I’m so intrigued, truly BRAVO to football for winning a game. There’s a first time for everything!

BRAVO to in-person school for enforcing academic inTIGERty. My soul feels so much purrer BRAVO to Mr. Long for showing off his collection of Hawaiian shirts every day in APES. Always gotta be ready to take off on vacation!

TIGER

6 SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

OPINION

A look back at the Afghanistan conflict As America withdraws its troops from Afghanistan following two decades of turmoil, Tiger looks back at how it all started and answers the question, “What do we do now?”

STORY MICHAEL MAYEMURA ILLUSTRATION MARTIN WALSH

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eptember 11, 2001 is a day that will forever live in infamy. The traumatizing attacks and subsequent “War on Terror” left deep scars in America that rippled across the Middle East. In a desperate search for answers, many backed the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan with the fantastical belief that America would take out those responsible and leave. Yet, as the war’s true nature emerged, public opinion soured, but by then the damage had already been done.

On the fateful morning of September 11, 2001, the American public awoke to the news that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. The attacks, which played out on live television, gripped the entire world’s attention and created a deafening silence as people mourned.

Then, to their horror, a second plane flew into the second World Trade Center and they watched, live, as the tower collapsed. The public could do nothing as they watched people jumping to their deaths and New York City crumbling before them. 2,977 people died that day according to the BBC. As a result, the American populace largely backed the “War on Terror,” a sweeping blood-lust for those responsible for the attacks.

Our response to September 11 left nothing to the imagination. People wanted those responsible to suffer, and they were willing to do anything it took to achieve that goal.

The American people’s hate and fear consumed their logic. Consequently, their paranoia rushed our nation into yet another war. However, this war would be longer, deadlier, and more disastrous for the future of American foreign policy.

The romanticized belief that the “War on Terror” would be a swift operation in which the U.S. and its allies swiftly eliminated foreign terrorists shattered almost immediately. The U.S., to start, declared war on the nations that harbored al-Qaeda as opposed to the organization itself.

With every drone strike, it grew abundantly clear that innocent people were being killed in the crossfire; entire villages were reduced to rubble in the name of “justice” and “freedom.”

As the war continued, the facade faded — America had overstayed its welcome. It was no longer a fight against Aal-Qaeda, but an opportunity to establish a pro-American government. Afghanistan was left in shambles while Americans remained blissfully

QUINNIE’S OPINNIES QUINN MANZO Over quarantine, I’ve noticed a rise in political activism, in particular a general theme of people holding themselves and their loved ones more accountable for being complacent in issues they were previously not forced to think about.

I’m all for this, of course. I think that high school is the perfect place to look within oneself and maybe make some changes. Unfortunately, this pressure has incentivized appearing, not necessarily being involved, which means those who previously didn’t care can continue to do so, just as long as they post the right things.

ignorant to their suffering. Our nation’s “noble intervention” exacerbated the Taliban’s extremist views and, in turn, the group’s extremist hate. Of course, the Taliban has committed innumerable amounts of unforgivable acts, but they did it to free their country from an unjustified attack. The U.S. forced its views of capitalism and “western justice” onto a nation that never asked for it.

The Taliban see themselves as their nation’s great cultural and religious saviour from the tyrannical U.S., a nation that cared very little about the sons they stole from Afghan mothers and the Islamic state we attempted to uproot.

When the terrorists of September 11 nearly obliterated New York, we refused to stand idly by and watch it happen. We took arms to eliminate what we believed to be a “worldly evil.” The Taliban’s aims are no different than what ours were all those years ago. As our country healed, the U.S. left Afghanistan People who are friends with these mosquitoes are the problem, too. Not challenging their friend or partner’s behavior makes them complacent.

It baffles me that some people can be friends with sex offenders and bigots, and then go on social media to defend the movements their friends invalidate on the daily. Not only should no one associate with awful people, but those who do are not helping them be their best selves by not challenging their behavior.

Some people even have the nerve to justify these relationships by claiming the bigots in question have never done things to directly hurt them, despite knowing how they have treated others.

What do these people have to offer you as your friend or partner? Entertainment? Security? What could possibly be compelling enough that you are comfortable overlooking the world’s worst qualities?

Nonetheless, I’m trying to be patient and offer others the benefit of the doubt —we are constantly growing. Plus, since we were online last year, I couldn’t compare people’s in-person behavior with who they preached to be on social media.

You’re not a real ally, nor are you a real activist. Part of an activist’s responsibility is to educate the people around them, to try and spread information to the people in their circles to garner support for important movements. At the same time, cutting someone off can sometimes be appropriate, and can spark a period of introspection in that ex-friend/partner.

However, now that we’re back, and the rapid cycle of South Pasadena word-of-mouth is circulating again, all I feel is disappointment. Homophobes, rape apologists, peers defending white supremacists and the legalized slavery known as “penal labor” in class discussions infest our campus like mosquitioes in this god-awful summer weather.

It’s complicated, and confusing, but I assure you that doing nothing is never the answer. Being passionate about social justice only gets you so far–you have to act on that passion. Only associating with likeminded people isn’t the solution either–diversity of thought is crucial to equity and growth. However, the aforementioned takes aren’t just bad political takes,

with deep scars that would not heal. Our nation’s relentless hate shrouded our true motives for staying in Afghanistan, puppeteering its government. The 20-year fight cost the U.S. thousands of lives and the Afghans millions more.

Our failure to defeat the Taliban and, later, stabilize Afghanistan, brought deep flaws in our nation’s foreign policies to the surface.

Charles Summer summed up American interventions best when they said, ”for a nation that seeks to right the wrongs of the world, we have unwillingly become the enemy in numerous countries.”

As we tried to mend our scars in the blood of our enemies, we effectively grew into the terrorists we swore to destroy. Our brutal bombing raids on innocent Afghan villages and our failure to discern our enemies from our allies resulted in the murder of thousands. they’re immoral–indicators of not just bad activists, but bad people.

Many SPHS students have the privilege to choose whether or not they want to stand up for what’s right, and most have chosen to sit in their filthy complacency. Remeber that a strong movement requires integrity, strength, empathy–qualities these people surely lack, so it’s necessary to evaluate whether it’s worth your time to try and “fix” them, if they lack the foundations.

Things can get aggressive in activism, even violent.

The point is to do what you can, when you can.

Donate some money to some good causes in the safety of your home, have productive discussions with bigots in your life, and most importantly highlight the activists in your life, and offer a platform for those who are actually impacted by an issue to speak on it.

As far as friendships and partnerships go, I genuinely admire those who are actively trying to evaulate and make positive changes in their relationships. Sometimes it’s worth a shot to sit them down and talk to them. Don’t be afraid to tell them how their behavior makes you feel. If the situation feels unsalvageable, root yourself in the friends you trust are good, and distance yourself from others.

If you just want everyone to think that you’re a good person, I can guarantee you one thing: the world won’t benefit any more from your cheap ingenuous words than it did from your comfortable silence.

TIGER SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

OPINION

7

TikTok culture fuels toxic mindsets

Tiktok pushes harmful narratives that diminish the identity and self-esteem of impressionable children.

STORY HANNA BAE ILLUSTRATION ALLISON LEE

T

ikTok. It’s no longer the Ke$ha song blasting on the radio. Instead, it’s a multi-million dollar app with over one billion users across the globe. TikTok is a social media application that’s seemingly harmless, a fun place for creators to dance and lip sync to popular songs, recite comedic skits, share advice, and so much more. The app, created by ByteDance in Beijing and initially released in 2016, has swept pop culture to an incredible extent.

However, the popular app is no longer a place for people to innocently share their interests and dance. It’s become a platform for people to brutally bully each other and subject impressionable teenagers to unacceptable influences. TikTok and the culture surrounding it are incredibly toxic and have undeniably negative effects on young users.

TikTok is incredibly hypocritical. The founders pride themselves on the fact that the platform gives a basis for self-expression and individualism, yet the guidelines that moderators follow stifle the content of “ugly” people in “ugly” environments. They also boast about how wide the app’s demographic is. Users from ages two to 104 are supposed to be able to enjoy the app. That’s exactly the issue.

There are so many young children on the app. They’re subjected to some horrifying content such as racism, misogyny, and damaging beauty standards. TikTok also forces its younger users to succumb to the illusion that the entire world is made up of skinny, pretty people, with lavish houses. These false standards feed into the dangerous misconceptions they will develop as time goes on and they continue to consume a single narrative.

TikTok offers a platform to gross creators as well. The “influencers” on the app are awful influences. A majority of those who have risen to fame on the app aren’t the best role models for their 10-year-old fans. They advertise brands that promote disordered eating and exercise habits, use slurs, boost harmful standards, sexually prey on minors, and promote making reckless decisions in public and at home. Several “creator houses” have been notorious for throwing parties during the pandemic, bullying each other, and their fans. Impressionable users are growing up idolizing these people which only fosters a harmful mindset.

TikTok has become the staple of pop culture as we know it. News stories, online interactions, and jokes tossed

around with friends all depend on what’s trending on the app. It’s engulfed users and their day-to-day lives.

Many argue that these children should just be removed from the app, or just not get it in the first place. However, societal standards have pushed technology to be used at an early age, and TikTok has become such a significant figure in pop culture, it’s become expected of children as young as first-graders to have social media apps, TikTok included. Social media has become so essential to making connections with peers that abstinence from it is simply not realistic.

Like most social media applications, TikTok makes its revenue off of the ads that are squeezed in between videos.

These ads are usually from large companies producing diet gummies, a skincare product, an award show, or a musician. The app also has virtual coins users can use to buy virtual gifts for their favorite creators.

With this in consideration, the content that TikTok promotes lines up with how they’re making money. Looking a certain way, certain types of music, a controversial movie, and the direct luxuries to creators give a clear pathway for the videos that TikTok shares on a user’s “For You” Page.

The app and its users have pushed the micro-celebrity mindset to another level. It allowed people with no talent to “Renegade” their way into the music and movie/television industries. Random TikTok stars with two million followers are suddenly making their hot new debut on the Billboard charts and simultaneously starring in three movies about

being a popular high schooler when they dropped out of college two years ago. “Stars” with a couple of thousand followers are getting signed for brand deals and making a lot of money.

TikTok propels Barbie doll proportions, high nose bridges, and large, double eyelids on young users. The eurocentric standards on both the app and with fame dishearten those with dreams in the entertainment industry. TikTok fuels the thought that you have to look a certain way to not only get on the FYP but also to sign a contract with an entertainment agency. Aspiring musicians and actors are having opportunities snatched from right before their eyes because a skinny, blonde, 24-year-old with 400k followers just released a poorly composed two-minute song.

TikTok reflects the core values our society holds. The lack of transparency, the censorship of “ugly” content, false and unhealthy standards, influencers who make bad decisions, and careers based on connections all play a factor into the world as we know it. The app has risen to its popularity for those reasons. It’s what the world has come to boost and accept because we’ve found it entertaining.

TikTok has become an outlet for users to project negative notions within smaller communities and the app as a whole. The app’s effect has become so incredibly extensive and is no longer a platform for users to bond, but a place for users to project the ugly truth of the world in an enclosed space with too much and little restriction. It’s damaging for young children and unhealthy narratives on the app are pushed onto users.

We Are Not Free is out of touch with real issues STORY KAHLEN MIAO For the past four years, SPHS has centered its summer reading books around social justice issues, most often pertaining to race. This year’s book We Are Not Free follows the experiences of 14 young Japanese-Americans in the Japanese internment camps during World War II. Like previous years, the book’s attempts to unite the student body through the summer reading program falls flat and is a mark that the summer reading program has no practical use.

The summer reading program’s goal is to bring the school together by all reading the same book, resources are given to teachers to help understand the book better, and

activities are usually planned alongside the book. The assigned book also aims to address hard hit issues that are often not talked about often and want to promote critical thinking among SPHS students. Alongside this, the book should also be a more contemporary book to contrast the older books most often read in English classes.

Despite all its goals, English teachers get to choose how much the summer reading book is involved in their curriculum. This often leads to teachers, especially in the AP Language and Composition classes, completely foregoing the idea of addressing the book or barely letting students have proper conversations about the book at all. This misses the primary objective of uniting the school.

It is also not possible for every teacher to fully understand the nuances of many of these social justice issues and experiences, thus often creating the opposite effect to what the reading is intended for when trying to “make the reading more meaningful for students”. A majority of English teachers at SPHS are white and do not have the ability to fully regulate a conversation that involves race, as they themselves do not fully understand them.

The committee that chooses the summer reading book does not accurately reflect the student body. While the committee welcomes all who want to join, its numbers are sparse and is made of very few students who choose the book alongside a few teachers, parents, and faculty members. The lack of proper and diverse voices could be attributed to the smaller number of students within the committee.

The committee seems to try and address social justice issues without fully looking at all the consequences.

The internment camps during WWII tore thousands of Japanese-Americans away from their homes. It is also part of a larger issue in the American Education system that fails to address the damage of these choices. However, the coronavirus related hate and the #stopasianhate movement has made the summer reading book an odd choice given this time. The current surge of hate towards Asian Americans is largely because of or has taken advantage of the coronavirus hate crimes, having little or nothing to do with Japanese Internment camps. The librarian and coordinator of the program also claims that the book is entirely up to the committee, and that she is there more as a regulator than and actual member.

The summer reading program has gained a lot of support from the PTSA, who seem to have misconceptions of how effective and popular the program really is. The summer reading program needs to be dramatically changed or just abolished. While a decent concept of a program, the summer reading books have ultimately no practical use and all that money that goes to buying a book for every single student can be used in so many better ways.

9 TIGER 8 SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

Exploring the transformat B

ullying has taken a new shape, one that is both harder to identify and harder to discipline. This mont have influenced this change, as well as how schools can move forward and focus on healing for both th

If you or your friend have been bullied, how has your/their experience impacted you?

“

From shoving people into lockers to stealing lunch money, bullying has been depicted in the media as a way for no-good trouble makers to relieve the pressures they personally face and project those onto others. Nowadays, the face of bullying is changing, but its consequences are not. There must be changes to outdated forms of discipline for student bullies.

It breaks my heart. Especially because the bully had shown us this kind version of themselves and had been someone we could trust, it caused a crazy amount of whiplash to see them switch up like that. Just couldn’t believe they were the same person.

”

“

I’m more motivated to be kind to others and set boundaries.

The discipline process for bullying is often short term. Its effects do not last past the immediate punishment, the bully walks away without truly understanding their wrongs, and the victim is left without closure. These short term solutions include after-school detentions and suspensions, efforts that are known as indirect, meaning that they’re not aimed towards psychological healing, but rather instantaneous discipline. A 2013 University of Texas study reported that among 50,000 participants, students who attended schools with indirect anti-bullying policies were more likely to be bullied, meaning short-term disciplining is ineffective for addressing bullying.

Indirect efforts are ineffective because they are not aimed towards emotional and social healing. Much of modern bullying occurs online which is often more difficult to identify.

The effects are lasting, with long-term emotional, psychological, academic, mental, behavioral, and social consequences. Modern bullying is no longer pushing someone to the ground, but rather, it’s insulting someone’s behavior, identity, culture, and appearance.

As opposed to more temporary physical injuries like bruises, these effects are life-long and leave significant negative impacts on a victim, like low self-esteem, insecurities, and a lack of identity that persist into adulthood.

”

Have you or a friend ever been bullied?

34.8 % 65.2 %

N

Y

If you or a friend have/ you/they realize immed

The best way to deal with bullying is prevention. Every year, through assemblies and/or class discussions, students should be taught that their words can have harmful effects on their peers, especially in an online setting. Curricula in schools should outline the effects of bullying, encourage self-reflection, and offer ways to seek help, and adapt to constantly evolving technology and communication. Most importantly, schools must show students that bullying is not black and white, that it can take many forms.

Peer mediation, which is offered by SPHS peer mediators, is a viable solution to encourage students to report their situations. Individuals may feel more comfortable telling the truth and resolving conflicts with a peer who has a better understanding of their experience.

Bullies often act out due to an inability to cope with negative feelings such as stress, anxiety, and jealousy. Punishing instead of counseling causes lasting issues for both the bully and the victim. Instead, steps can be taken to allow both counterparts to grow and better themselves. Some of these skill development methods include oneon-one conversations, therapy, sessions with a counselor, and forming virtues like patience and compassion through community service or volunteer work on campus. School counseling departments can provide services for the bully to reflect and grow if those resources aren’t available at home. Similarly, victims can heal in an environment where they feel heard and protected, regardless of whether or not they choose to forgive their aggressor. Approaches should be personalized and counselors can work with bullies, victims, and their families to assess individual cases and develop an appropriate set of solutions.

SPHS is beginning to implement restorative justice circles, a step in the right direction. Students come together in a circle, with counselors and trusted adults. Everyone in the circle is encouraged to share their feelings, and decide as a group what the solution is moving forward.

These personal and individual techniques are much more suitable and outdated methods are ineffective; they only cause harmful psychological effects that persist in adulthood. By implementing personal techniques in schools, bullies can grow, and victims can heal. Instead of immediate punishment or humiliation, policies must adapt to changes of bullying itself in order to prevent and reduce bullying in schools. Bullying as we know it is changing, and the way that it is addressed must follow suit.

24 .4 % 52.6 %

23 .1%

TIGER SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

9

tion of bullying

th, Tiger looks into how the internet and social media he bully and the victim.

No

Yes

STORY HANNA BAE, LEXIE DOIG, SAM GROTENSTEIN, RALUCA TUDUSCIUC, & KAHLEN MIAO PAGE DESIGN CHARLOTTE COHEN & TERRY SONG ILLUSTRATIONS TERRY SONG

How would you define modern bullying?

“

GRAPHICS PENNY ABOUD

Bitter gossip and complaints behind people’s backs disguised as honest ‘expressions of opinion’ rather than bullying.

”

“

I think the principles and ‘purposes’ of bullying are still there: to demean someone. But I think the mode of bullying has transformed into less physical, more psychological forms…

”

Do you think you’ve ever bullied someone?

37.7 % 62.3 %

/has been bullied did diately or later?

Realized later Still unsure Realized immediatly

Bullying today is unidentifiable.

Physical violence and overt name calling are frowned upon by peers and school administration alike, and the dominant social narratives we see in Disney films and are taught about in health or computer labs suggest that from its corpse has grown a more sinister older cousin, cyberbullying.

Even this is a little bit of a misnomer. The phenomena of sharing mean hashtags and degrading messages is largely nonexistent, at least on a schoolwide scale. Initiatives to counter cyberbullying have existed since the dawn of computers, and according to the standards they set for themselves have largely succeeded. In fact, most anti-bullying initiatives have, by their own standards, succeeded. According to the notions of bullying put forward by outsiders looking in, it is very rare to find an actual bully these days.

Obviously, this is not to say bullying is over. According to a Tiger survey, over 60% of over 200 respondents have experienced some sort of bullying. Despite this, in responding to the question of “what did it look like,” responses were so varied that it’s almost impossible to find a common theme.

This is the sentiment that defines modern bullying. It is almost totally amorphous, borderline indistinguishable from a toxic friendship or a series of unpleasant encounters.

No one wants to openly be a bully. In a social media age, one must hide cruelty behind a veneer of vague gestures so as to not actively mark themselves as horrible. The bullying of today can hardly be taken to administration. It is a picture of a party you weren’t invited to shared around by your peers. It’s an in-joke that you weren’t there for. It’s immaterial.

Assistant Principal David Speck believes social media is the most difficult part of dealing with bullying: “It’s hard because people are disguising themselves, hiding behind a persona online.” He has witnessed the changes at SPHS: “I have seen a shift because we’ve seen the evolution of online cyberbullying and you have a lot of passive aggressive behaviors that are easier to do online. Once students post online as well, you can’t read into tone, or intent a lot of times, which causes a lot of dispute.”

The shift in bullying is doing just as much to social media as it is the aforementioned anti-bullying campaigns. By both providing kids with a platform to speak out about injustice and the cast-iron roles of bully, victim, and bystander laid out by anti-bullying campaigns, the disavowal of bullying acts by the perpetrators is almost essential to the process. Moreover, given the strict caste structure of bullying assumed by administration, the school is essentially forced to accept this disavowal.

This isn’t to say that the problem is impossible to address, but rather that both the personal and systemic approaches must be altered. Schools administration needs to spend less time trying to actively combat the action of bullying, but rather to help address the psychological effects. Alternatively, given that bullying occurs at such a personal level and on such a situational basis, the only way to combat bullying as an individual is to call it out when you see it.

TIGER

10 SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

FEATURE

Hey, put that down!

CLOE MAURER Last summer, my dad showed me a clip of Hollywood Squares, a game show that ran from 1965-1980.

I watched with morbid fascination as a cast of B-list celebrity contestants riffed with a kind of midcentury stiffness. According to Google, the host Paul Lynde’s most famous quote is, “Sandwiches are wonderful. You don’t need a spoon or a plate!”

The game was bizarre and feverish, but perhaps the most striking part of Hollywood Squares were the advertisements. The ads for things like trampolines and plane tickets starred WASP-y nuclear families. Most notably, however, is that all of these advertisements were very transparently selling products and/or experiences. The couple with perfectly coiffed hair and two children smiling their way through a wood paneled airport offered a chance at familial bliss in the tropics. A wide-eyed little girl bouncing on the trampoline in her backyard asked the viewer to consider purchasing suburban ecstasy in a cardboard box.

Donda, DOOM, and the mask From Kanye West to MF DOOM, masks have become a staple in rap.

STORY CHARLOTTE DEKLE ILLUSTRATION PENNY ABOUD

D

ue to the pandemic, mask-wearing has become an integral part of everyday life, leading private citizens to be somewhat anonymous in their everyday activities. That is unless you are easily recognizable cultural figure Kanye West. West has integrated full face masks in multiple album releases, including a crystal-encrusted mask during the Yeezus tour and more recently, a beige stocking-like garment for the Donda album listening party.

West and his mask, as with many rappers, take inspiration from the trailblazer of masked poets, MF DOOM, whose mask became an integral part of his brand once his solo career took off.

Despite the anonymity that masks provide everyday citizens, the Kanye West version of mask-wearing is not an attempt at obscurity. In reality, it is quite the opposite.

West wants to uphold an other-worldly image, elevating himself and his brand above all else.

“The mask is the brand,” said LD (formerly known as Scribz without the mask) in an interview with The Face.

This latest mask stunt is a more blatant display of Kanye’s own ego — especially when he wears a full facial covering decorated with the only person more popular than Kanye, Jesus.

Rappers and the recalibration of their images is a form of brand recognition. However, West’s success as a commodity and God-like figure is to the direct detriment of his supposed attempts at modesty. Society and its ability to reward commodities like people and their corresponding brands via money and fame further exemplifies the importance of a strong brand — one that a recognizable mask can provide. When Kanye wears a Jesus mask, it’s not to humble himself, it’s to catapult him to a Jesus-like standing.

“I don’t think [this Christian theological language] is [him attempting to] create a religion,” Monica Miller, the author of ‘Religion and Hip Hop’ said. “He’s using God to situate himself at the top of the game.”

Separating the art from the artist encapsulates another reason for rappers to wear masks — reinvention. MF DOOM’s mask, for example, inspired by supervillain Doctor Doom, existed to sever ties from his real-life persona of Daniel Dumile with his rap persona, MF DOOM. After his brother’s death and a consequent release from his label, MF DOOM felt betrayed and jaded by the music industry. Wearing the mask for anonymity was not the goal, for it was common knowledge that MF DOOM was Daniel Dumile. The reason for the masking was reinvention. DOOM wanted to return to rap as a character who could be expressed freely, an alter ego personified.

He was no longer Daniel Dumile, the rapper dropped from his label, but supervillain-based MF DOOM, a rap pioneer. MF DOOM told The New Yorker in a 2009 interview that wearing a mask ‘came out of necessity.’

“I wanted to get onstage and orate, without people thinking about the normal things people think about.” Doom said.

The philosophies behind MF Doom and Kanye West’s masks are similar in one aspect — they both attempt to commodify their image as a rapper while separating their persona from their person. However, this commodification serves two different purposes. MF Doom’s philosophy of separating the art from the artist in comparison to Kanye West’s mortal separation displays two sides of the celebrity coin. MF Doom’s separation is a form of enjoying his music in spite of his persona.

The schism between Kanye ‘the man’ and Kanye ‘Godequivalent’ is enforced by his persona and his brand.

Upon MF Doom’s death in 2019, rappers and their brandintegral masks have survived. For some, it exemplifies an unshackling from the bonds of celebrity. For Kanye, the best facade is the face of God.

There was something charmingly mindless about them. Corporations seemed dumber and the people seemed unaware. Advertising now feels a lot more insidious. A few weeks ago, I watched a Facebook ad that played before a Youtube video. It was a dizzying 30 seconds of fast cuts and bouncy, tinny music.

The premise of the ad is snapshots of a Facebook group called “Screw it, Let’s Talk Astrology.” It opens with a stoner type in a kimono and layered necklaces eating out of a takeout container, looking hungover.

Faux-bored with an air of disapproval, he says to the camera, “My ex is dating a Pisces.”

The irony caught me off guard. When ads are suddenly in tune enough with the zeitgeist to pick up on irony culture and the way it colors how we engage with media, it feels like a warning sign.

Advertisement is too intuitive now and there really doesn’t feel like there’s any going back.

“Let’s Talk Astrology” wasn’t just selling a product or an experience. Rather, it was selling an identity to then sell a product/experience. If the fast cuts, snark, and millennial spiritualism do their job right, at the end of the 30 seconds, the viewer will feel a kind of subliminal compulsion to find their stylish, ironic people too. Maybe they’ll even try to find it on Facebook. Maybe Facebook will introduce me to a community I can gripe about my ex’s sign to and interpret my Co-Star with.

Being advertised to like this makes me feel small, self-conscious, and a little sad. I doubt that many people are completely oblivious to corporate pandering. I doubt that even Facebook hopes people will perceive “Let’s Talk Astrology” as sincere. The ham-fisted subtlety is what makes this new age of ads so effective. I’m smart enough to see it and somehow that gives me permission to participate.

The self-delusion of feeling that I have a choice in the matter because I have somehow outsmarted or seen through the ad is what will ultimately get the consumer to bite. So, yes Paul Lynde, sandwiches are wonderful, especially when they’re made with non dairy cheese sold to me in a banner ad below a video essay about early 2000s pop culture. It doesn’t really get much better than that.

TIGER SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

FEATURE

11

Solar Power affirms Lorde’s musical versatility STORY ELSIE WATERS ILLUSTRATION ISOLE KIM

E

ver since she released her debut album Pure Heroine back in 2013, Lorde has had the element of surprise on her side, never failing to spark conversation and maintain unpredictability. Her work speaks for itself, but her age especially took the world by surprise. Only sixteen when she shared Pure Heroine, and just twenty years old when she released the following album, Melodrama, the words “young talent” and Lorde practically go hand in hand.

Her newest work takes shape in the dynamic album Solar Power. Packed full of intimate stories, a cheerful tone, and beautiful vocals, Solar Power is a perfect end of August listen. It flawlessly captures the summer blues all encounter at some point or another, and turns the feeling into an entrancing listening experience.

After the release of Melodrama, Lorde stepped away from the spotlight and went off the grid. During that time, she visited Antarctica to learn more about the climate crisis firsthand. The trip affirmed Lorde’s passion about the environment, which is the album’s thematic base.

Melodrama was filled with anger and intensity birthed from a recent breakup. Solar Power shares those same emotions, only this time they’re dedicated to the climate crisis.

In the song “Fallen Fruit,” she expresses her frustration “to the ones who came before us,” and how they’ve left us with a planet that’s threatening to collapse. It’s one of the more solemn songs featured on the album. While it begins in alignment with the previous tracks (guitar-heavy, soft and heady vocals) the pattern is quickly broken, giving way to a much darker sound. It’s one of the few songs that feels reminiscent of Lorde’s previous albums with the deep vocals fans are more accustomed to.

In addition to nature, Solar Power tackles an array of varying themes, one of which is the bleaker side of stardom. It’s a known fact Hollywood isn’t as glamorous as it appears, and Lorde knows that better than most.

As someone who entered the scene at a young age, her conflicting histories with the music industry are integrated into the framework of the album.

The song “California” provides listeners insight into her experience. At the beginning of the song, she describes

the initial moment she was “welcomed” into Hollywood.

“Once upon a time in Hollywood when Carole called my name/ I stood up, the room exploded/ and I knew that’s it, I’ll never be the same.”

Her age and career are intrinsically linked, and while the world has shared plenty of their own thoughts on the subject, she hasn’t commented all too much. Her decision to finally share her perspective, and not just through an interview, but through a song makes the information feel all the more impactful and intentional.

Lorde also takes a satirical, yet ultimately relatable approach to her lyrics. In songs like “Mood Ring,” she pokes fun at how our generation’s deep immersion in wellness culture, something that she just can’t relate to: “Ladies begin your sun salutations... you can burn sage, and I’ll cleanse the crystals.”

Solar Power presents itself as one cohesive story, featuring bits and pieces of Lorde’s life, external conflicts as well as internal ones, where each song neatly bleeds into the next.

With its many themes of love, loss, humor, environment, and more — it feels like a book, each track a different chapter.

However, this aspect of the album can at times come off as anticlimactic. It almost feels as if it should be leading up to something greater, like waiting for a beat that never drops. The most energetic song is the second track, “Solar Power.” The drop never comes, instead eases to a gentle end with “Oceanic Feeling.”

Many fans have voiced their dissatisfaction with the album and that makes sense if you were expecting Melodrama 2.0, full of Lorde’s usual electro-pop. The disappointment is valid, however while it’s not what fans were expecting, the album is exactly what Lorde wanted it to be.

And this expression of autonomy alone contributes heavily to the organic essence of the album. She’s no longer that 16 year old when she released Pure Heroine.

She no longer feels the need to prove herself.

Ultimately, Solar Power conveys the encompassing feeling of indifference Lorde holds today. By producing the unexpected, all the while knowing that it may not be as well received as the music her fans are used to, she demonstrates the growth she’s undergone since 2013.

How Zoom entered the chat and dominated pandemic life STORY BENJAMIN REGAN ILLUSTRATION ETHAN LYONS Why did we entrust our schools, jobs, birthday parties, and awkward conversations with distant relatives who always rave about “how big you’ve gotten” to Zoom?

Before the pandemic spun us into a virtual reality, companies like Skype, WebEx, and Microsoft Teams dominated the video conferencing world. While Skype’s focus on perfecting insignificant features like emojis led to their decline, and Microsoft Teams was still tweaking their brand, Zoom entered the chat and emerged as the next company up.

CEO Eric Yuan launched Zoom in January of 2013. He originally worked for WebEx, one of the first successful video conferencing companies of the early 2000s.

Recognizing their connectivity issues and how they relied more on their lack of competition than quality, Yuan left to form his own company — Zoom.

Prihe first of many good decisions made by Zoom leading

up to the pandemic. Zoom built in stable connections while keeping data use relatively low. Furthermore, while companies like Skype originally charged for large group meetings, Zoom made them free.

Zoom’s combination of convenience and versatility led to steady growth in valuation from 2013-2016. By 2017, Zoom became a 1 billion dollar company with 10 million daily meeting participants. Having created stability within the company, they went public in April of 2019 to further their growth. However, their biggest spike in valuation would be larger than they ever expected.

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, and there was a need for a video conferencing standard, Zoom was continued to rise in popularity. But if their rise before the pandemic was a jump, their rise throughout the pandemic was a leap with a pogostick on a trampoline.

Zoom saw a whopping 317% total increase in business from 2019 to 2020 and generated 2.6 billion dollars in 2020 alone. They went from 10 million daily meeting

participants before the pandemic to 200 million after. It was even downloaded more times from the App Store in 2020 than Instagram or Netflix.

Throughout the pandemic, Zoom fundamentally changed the way businesses meet and people interact. Zoom became more than just a verb; it is the easiest way to communicate with co-workers, classmates, friends, family, teachers, and even doctors virtually. Just as Google became everyone’s dictionary, calculator, and place for random facts in the early 2000s, Zoom became everyone’s workplace and school in 2020. It redefined the meaning of an event or get-together, and rewired our brains to see things through a virtual lens. Its impact on businesses, culture, and everyday activities cannot be overstated.

“I used Zoom because it was easy for the kids to get on and it was easy for me,” said SPHS 9 and 10th grade English teacher Jennifer Cutler, reflecting on last year’s distance learning. “I also really enjoyed the breakout room feature so that kids could have a time to work one-on-one with me and with their classmates.”

However, their boom during the pandemic didn’t come without drawbacks. Security issues, dubbed “Zoombombing,” haunted Zoom and many of their users in the heart of the lockdown. Zoom responded by making waiting rooms the default to ensure the host is only letting the correct people into the meeting. They also hired additional expert security researchers and updated their encryption.

Because vaccines are readily available to the public and life begins to transition back in-person, Zoom has and is expected to continue to see declines in their usage. They have already seen a 33% decrease since the beginning of 2021. However, the convenience of “hopping on a Zoom” without leaving the comfort of your house will have value long past the end of the pandemic. For those with a long commute to work, Zoom is a more feasible option. Conferences and other business-related events that require many people to travel can easily be replaced with virtual meetings. Hybrid models of business allow flexibility to employees. Post-pandemic, Zoom will undoubtedly remain relevant and have some use for business, education, and social events.

TIGER

12 SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

FEATURE

Araki’s striking artistic evolution in JoJo

STORY & ILLUSTRATION TERRY SONG

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eginning in 1987, the manga series JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure follows the Joestar bloodline and their battles against evil with supernatural powers. To people who have only been exposed to the countless JoJo memes floating around the internet, the general image of JoJo they perceive from these sources is that of disproportionally muscular men performing outrageous actions and striking inhuman poses. To be honest, they are not wrong .

However, it’s this eccentricity that distinguishes the series’ artist Hirohiko Araki from the rest. Spanning across three decades, the art of JoJo has evolved with each installment into the dynamic, vibrant, and beautifully bizarre style it has now.

From 1987 to 1992, Araki’s art took heavy inspiration from a popular manga at the time, Fist of the North Star. At first glance, the two are indistinguishable in style. Both artists depict ripped men shaded in a blend of heavy and thin lines that brings forth both textures and details.

Despite the strange plots, the designs of the characters are fairly grounded in reality with some exaggeration in proportions and clothing.

In later parts, Araki explores synthetism, or the use of abstract and inconsistent colors to emphasize 2D shapes, and begins to model his characters after fashion illustrations — stylistic elements that JoJo is now known for.

In Stardust Crusaders, the third story arc of the JoJo series, Araki begins to play with the concept of stands, or physical manifestations of one’s fighting spirit which characters use in combat. The creation of stands allows Araki to move away from drawing exclusively humans and design even more abstract, yet still vibrant and iconic characters.

By the end of this time period, Araki still exhibits most characteristics mentioned previously, but his style has developed an edge unique to himself that separates him from his inspiration.

Part four of the series, Diamond is Unbreakable, marks Araki’s big transition into his modern JoJo style in both art and writing. His use of lines becomes fluid and shading becomes more refined. Similar to his linework, Araki’s characters shift to gradually lose the hyper-masculinity that is iconic to the series and begins to incorporate his other areas of interest, especially fashion.

Through who seems to be his favorite original character, Kishibe Rohan, Araki experiments with a wardrobe of wild and peculiar costumes and a combination of vivid and energetic colors. What’s most interesting about Rohan is that Araki has gone back to redraw him many times throughout the years, and the changes in Rohan’s design speak to how far Araki’s art has developed.

Following the fifth installment of the series, JoJo’s art style evolves to a state drastically different from where it started. Araki’s characters embody a form of masculinity

that embraces femininity and departs from the gender binary. Araki begins to feature queer-coded characters as societal attitudes towards queer people grow more inclusive and accepting.

This is demonstrated in the drastic change in style in JoJo’s fifth story arc, Golden Wind where characters are designed significantly thinner with more revealing and feminine clothing.

Araki begins modeling character poses after Michelangelo’s works, giving more graceful gestures to his predominately male cast.

In Stone Ocean, Araki drops another feature of his style from the early era, the heavily shaded facial features, to adjust for the female cast. Araki would keep the lightly defined and rounded face shapes in his later works to add to the androgynous appearance of his characters.

From this point onward, Araki has settled on his current style. His use of color is wild and bold, while his characters are delicate and refined. Araki’s mastery of proportions and perspective shows in his dynamic composition and powerful fight scenes.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a shining star amongst anime with its meme-able content, outlandish stories, and fabulous art. With the announcement of part nine manga, JoJoland, and the release of the Stone Ocean anime right around the corner, this is the time to be a JoJo fan.

Tween-oriented media is disappearing STORY ALLISON WANG ILLUSTRATION MARTIN WALSH

Characters regularly are seen doing drugs or having sex, and while some teens do that, the majority do not.

With unprecedented access to the internet, new generations of adolescents — especially feminine presenting people — sidestep important ‘tween’ milestones like awkward fashion or cringey interests. This is largely due to the influence of social media and shows geared towards older demographics. Because of this, tweens who once had more time to explore their personalities now face a dramatic jump from child to teen.

This can be contrasted with older tween movies like The Princess Diary, which deals with a teen girl coming out of her awkward, nerdy, and unfashionable tween stage and becoming a princess. Although coming of age stories heavily saturate popular media today, most of these stories are oriented around the teen-to-adult transition rather than the child-to-teen one.

The classic tween was once characterized by an awkward 10 to 13 year old who shopped with their mom at mall stores like Justice or Claire’s and religiously consumed Raina Telgemeier graphic novels and Disney XD. Nowadays, mall culture is on a rapid decline and COVID-19 restrictions have pushed previously tweenoriented brick and mortar stores to shutter. With tween stores closing, companies marketed towards teens now dominate the tween market.

Both Justice and Claire’s have filed for bankruptcy in the past three years, and while both are still in business, they’ve lost most of their follower base as the tweens of the ‘10s become teenagers and adults. Presently, most tweens shop at stores that lean towards adult fashion like Shein, LuLuLemon, or PacSun. Tweens have virtually no representation and are left to pick between being a child then a teen.

Another distinctive factor in the disappearance of the tween is the lack of content geared towards them. Long gone are the days of Disney Channel or Nickelodeon, now replaced with Netflix or Youtube.

High school dramas like Boy Meets World and Saved by the Bell once consumed by tweens were more awkward and featured young people who acted young. Current high school shows like Riverdale and Euphoria have plots that feel closer to adult dramas. Even reboots of high school dramas like Gossip Girl feel raunchier than the original.

Transitioning out of childhood can be just as difficult as becoming an adult, and the tween shows of the past did not shy away from examining the awkward tribulations that accompany that passage. The Princess Diary, Boy Meets World, and Saved by the Bell are all relatively straightforward in their themes of identity, self-acceptance, and friendship, yet dually examine the complexities of aging out of childhood. The disconnect

between real teens and shows pushes children to feel like they are missing out or aren’t ‘normal.’ Most teen dramas have teenagers who look and act like adults, because all the people on set are adults. A 23 year old portraying a 16 year old on TV subtly prompts tweens to grow up faster.

Social media also contributes to tween insecurity.

With so many young influencers online, tweens feel like social media popularity is much more attainable than celebrity of the past, therefore incentivizing them to act and look like their older counterparts to obtain online popularity.

With growing differences in media, what a tween once was and what a tween is now is drastically changing. New generations experience new shows and social media that alter how they view their own age and interests. Tweens mirror the people online and in person, causing a shift that removes tweens.

TIGER SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

FEATURE

13

TAAGLAA:The Bunny Museum TIGER’S AWESOME ADVENTURES IN THE GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA 2605 Lake Ave, Altadena, CA 91001. Open 12-6 PM Monday through Saturday and 12-5 on Sunday.

Adults 13 and up-$12, Seniors 65 and up or military- $10, children 5 and up-$8, children 4 and under- free

STORY RALUCA TUDUSCIUC PHOTOS SAMANTHA SHIROISHI

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estled among the hills of northern Altadena lies one of Los Angeles’ most fascinating museums. An attraction for both animal lovers and appreciators of the unique, The Bunny Museum, co-founded by Steve Lubanski and Candace Frazee in 1998, boasts the world’s largest collection of rabbit-themed items. Their amassed assortment is comprised of over 44,000 pieces, each strikingly different from the next.

As an animal enthusiast myself, I naturally had to pay a visit. I approached the building and was immediately faced by an enormous inflatable rabbit that adorns the roof of the museum. The white balloon was surrounded by other bunny installments, including three former Rosa Parade float bunnies and a colorful mural decorating an entire wall. I admired the exterior of the construction, but was soon startled by the appearance of a small ginger cat. This new companion was one of the museum’s many residents, named Dash.

The collection originally started as a tradition in which the couple would exchange rabbit-themed gifts as expressions of love. Initially, the museum was also their shared home; however, the collection has grown to be so vast, they have relocated the museum to larger premises in upper Altadena. Many items, including the ornate figurines that adorned their wedding cake, are dedicated to their unending love for one another.

I soon neared the main entrance, and, with bated breath, crossed the threshold into the small foyer . What I was met with far exceeded any prior expectations I may have had.

Every square inch as far as I could see was piled with objects, large and small. Teetering stacks of rabbit figurines

AN ODE TO LOVE AND RABBITS, The Bunny Museum was co-founded by Steve Lubanski and Candace Frazee in 1998.

lay clustered in huge glass cabinets to my left, and a wall adorned with the signatures of past visitors stood directly before me. I was welcomed by Frazee, who sat at a small desk to my right, nearly obscured by the massive piles of bunny postcards, figurines, and bobbleheads among the rest of the collection.

I was so taken aback by the sheer vastness of just this fraction of the full collection, I nearly didn’t see Samantha, who was waiting for me just behind a bookcase filled to the brim with items for sale. We exchanged remarks on the surprising immensity of the assortment, and continued down the hall.

A large glass cabinet boasted hundreds of small porcelain salt and pepper sets, and an entire wall was filled with items dedicated solely to rabbit-related food products. It was in this section that I discovered the existence of Nesquik chapstick, of which they had a flavored set of three.

Just a few steps away was the rabbit school exhibit, which featured four rows of glass shelves, depicting many small rabbit figures being taught by a rabbit professor, complete with miniature whiteboards.

The Bunny Museum is largely dedicated to exploring the relevance of rabbits in both popular culture and history.

The museum’s Gallery of Original Bunny Art, or GOOBA, is a new installation that presents the art of an array of contemporary artists, including Teresa Blatt, Sylvie Lake, Dennis Chin, and the founders, Lubanski and Frazee themselves. The mediums used range from painting to sculpture, and even edible products.

Among the many exhibits is 1993, a display dedicated solely to Frazee’s works. In order to commemorate the museum’s original location in Pasadena, Frazee compiled her art from repurposed or broken items formerly on

display. The couple initially placed damaged pieces no longer able to be displayed in what they titled The Garden of Broken Dreams. These rabbits are now back on display through an innovative new form of art.

Bunny inspired art dates back thousands of years.

Another installation, Antiquity, containing pieces from as long ago as 300 B.C. These fascinating objects proved to be one of the highlights of our visit. Ancient rabbitthemed artifacts were encased in a large glass container.

Included is a bronze Roman ring, estimated to be from around 300-200 B.C. The exquisite piece of jewelry is accompanied by a pendant and brooch, among others.

We voyaged further into the museum and entered a room isolated from the main section of the gallery. It contained an entire wall dedicated to cartoon characters, including the beloved Bugs Bunny and Roger Rabbit. Even the ceiling was covered in rabbit posters, slippers, puzzles, and plush animals. It was in this room that we were greeted by many other feline friends, all eager to accept head scratches and pets.

From there, however, our visit took a more somber turn.

The Chamber of Hop Horrors, which is prohibited to children under the age of 13, is an extremely important exhibit depicting the abuse and mistreatment of rabbits in many industries. In a sickening reminder of the atrocious nature of animal cruelty, the display discusses many topics that are more relevant than ever.

In all certainty I can say that The Bunny Museum is a fascinating place to escape from the bores of reality. In all its eccentric charm, it provides for an experience you most definitely won’t forget. The welcoming attitude of the couple really makes the museum feel like a home away from home, and promises an enjoyable experience to each visitor who arrives. The Bunny Museum truly is the “the hoppiest place in the world.”

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TIGER SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

SPORTS

Dalia Lundquist: Overlooking the half-pipe of life involves one foot off the board while gripping the center.

Her foot got caught while not being firmly planted, resulting in her sliding straight to her side and twisting her ankle.

STORY CHARLOTTE DEKLE PHOTOS SOPHIE YEUNG

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f you were one of the 150 million Americans who watched the Tokyo Olympics this year, you might have seen an Uber ad with the tagline “Go Get It.” In this ad, SPHS’ very own sophomore, Dalia Lundquist, sits atop a ramp overlooking the halfpipe she is about to conquer.

Her appearances in major print and online newspapers helped establish her presence as a girl in a maledominated industry. Through her six years of skating, Lundquist has pop shuv’dit her way into skateboarding popularity and hopes other girls will do the same.

Lundquist was incapacitated for a few months, but once she got the okay from her physician, she was determined to better her skills. While continuing to add to her repertoire, she was referred by a friend to be featured in an Olympic ad. She then sent in her measurements, skateboarding videos, and conducted a short interview via Zoom before landing the gig.

The following gained from her ad media exposure allows her to follow in the footsteps of her idols: Megan Guy and Nora Vasconcellos. Both are women who are revolutionizing the male-dominated sport of professional skateboarding. Though she does concur that skateboarding is controlled by men, Lundquist is encouraged by the recent growth of the female skateboarding community.

Lundquist’s love for the skateboarding world sparked when she was little. Whenever Lundquist played at the park, she was mesmerized by skateboarders flying by and wanted to emulate their movements. She eventually got her first skateboard at five, but it collected dust until she began riding it at eight.

“It’s an amazing feeling when [I’m] skateboarding, especially when I land a trick, or I’m skating very fast through a bowl,” Lundquist said. “There’s a sense of excitement and skateboarding is a great way for me to relieve any stress I have.”

“Every time, when I go to the skate park now, I’m seeing at least one or two girl skateboarders and it is great to get more girls out there,” Lundquist said. [This is important because] some girls don’t feel comfortable at the skatepark if they’re the only girl there, though I don’t feel like that. It’s important to get more girls skating so they aren’t intimidated by the guys.”

For the first two years, Lundquist would skate around the sidewalk of her local park in Los Angeles. Later on, as she craved more action, Lundquist taught herself tricks at the skatepark near her house until she started taking lessons at age ten. Although Lundquist rides for fun, she considers skateboarding a real sport. Thus, it is something to constantly work at — she tries to practice the craft every day.

Now, six years into her sport, Lundquist takes pride in ushering in the new batch of skateboarders. She tries to assist the up-and-comers by being a peer opposed to a role model.

“I don’t know if I want to be a role model,” Lundquist said.

“I just want to help people when they skate — especially other young girls. I’m just a tenth grade girl skateboarding for fun. I don’t consider myself a role model.”

But, skateboarding hasn’t come without hardship. She has sustained two major injuries in her career that have only made her a stronger, more resilient skater.

One occurred at a park in Glendale; as she was attempting to land a trick that she had previously completed, she hit the ground hard enough to split her chin open. The second time, she tried a new trick called a Boneless which

A SELF TAUGHT SKATER, sophomore Dalia Lundquist has proven to the media that girls can rule the skateboarding world.

She is not sure what the future of skateboarding looks like for her. At only fifteen, Lundquist has a lot of time to develop her career. For right now, she just enjoys her time skateboarding.

Tiger talks with interim athletic trainer Ramzy Assaf long term physical therapy portion of it. If there is an injury, athletic trainers help get the student back in shape so they’re able to compete again.

Tiger: What sort of training goes into being a trainer?

Assaf: Becoming an athletic trainer requires a master’s degree, so you have to go into an athletic training program and get some education and training. You’ll learn about how to find what part of the body is injured and why type of injury is occuring: Is it an acute injury, a rehab injury? You will also take courses in sports medicine, injuries, and preventative information. Another step in the process is certification and completing the final exam to be an athletic trainer.

Tiger: What are your first approaches to an athletes’ injury?

Assaf: The assessment starts from the second they walk into the facility: How’s their demeanor? Are they limping? Is there something that they’re holding that gives you a cue that something is going on? And then you ask your questions and move onto your exams to hopefully get a picture of what’s happening and figure out what’s going on.

Then you find out the history behind it: What exactly happened? What is injured? How did it occur? Once you get the history a little bit, the next thing is to figure out exactly what parts of the body were damaged. Then, to confirm what you talked about with the athlete, you start to do manual testing and see what their strength level is. From there you can systematically try to isolate what you think the injury is.

Tiger: Are there are injuries that are common with high school athletes and how do you think they can be prevented?

Assaf: We see different injuries in different sports. For example, runners tend to have a lot of shin splints. Water polo and baseball have more upper body injuries, while sports like soccer may have more lower body injuries. As you notice these patterns you can try to adjust your work.

THROUGH TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF INJURY, athletic trainers are a vital part to keeping SPHS’ student athletes and athletic department healthy and safe.

Tiger: Has COVID-19 impacted protocols and how you do your job?

Tiger sat down with SPHS’ interim trainer, Ramzy Assaf, to get insight into how the job works and what it takes to keep athletes competing on the field.

Assaf: Obviously we are making sure to wear masks and social distance. Also, we ensure things are sanitized and athletes are using their own water bottles and not sharing things — all those have changed the way things are done. We need to be strict in terms of making sure everything is clean, wiped down, and that athletes are doing their job to protect everyone around them. If there is a coronavirus exposure, we have to make sure we go through the correct protocols so the athlete returns healthy and everyone around them is kept safe.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Tiger: As an athletic trainer, what advice would you give an athlete to avoid injury?

Tiger: How would you describe your job?

Assaf: The big thing is warming up and you want to make sure you’re doing a dynamic warm up. Meaning a warm up that can consist of motions you’re gonna do for that sport.

For example, in football you’re doing a lot of high-knees and butt-kickers, those types of motions that get their body used to the motions they’re going to do in their sport. This way we’re hoping to reduce the chance of injury. It is important to do this before the game to warm up their body so they can compete at a high level without injury.

STORY BENJAMIN REGAN PHOTO ERIN LEE

Assaf: Athletic trainers are healthcare professionals who collaborate with physicians and other healthcare providers. The job here is to make sure we are taking care of any kind of injuries or illnesses the athletes have. That could be anything from treatments to precaution to prevention; things like taping, bracing as well as the rehabilitation and

TIGER SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

SPORTS

SPHS’ GPA requirement needs to go

15

Normal or Tangent LILIAN ZHU

Forcing everyone to love math When the question, “What’s the point of math?” is asked, people are quick to defend the subject by using examples of economic or technological applications but omit the transcendent beauty of reasoning and wonder that math brings. We’re always focused on increasing productivity, by using and manipulating tools like math to drive forward through an endless feedback loop of dissatisfaction. Instead of appreciating what is around us for its intrinsic value, people are too caught up in buying the latest models of technology and keeping up with trends.

STORY ANAYAH MEHDI ILLUSTRATION ALLISON LEE

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PHS’ GPA requirement to participate in sports currently sits at 2.0, on an unweighted 4.0 scale, in which studentathletes must maintain at least a C in every class. This grade requirement reflects the administration's view of athletics being a privilege, not a right. With this requirement, athletes potentially be restricted from the numerous benefits provided by the program because of their academic challenges. Thus, this grade requirement should be revoked.

Everyone deserves the opportunity to exercise their strengths and succeed. Some people might be really strong academically, but not so much when it comes to athletics.

These people get to utilize these academic strengths with schools providing numerous class opportunities, levels of classes, and tutoring, without barriers. However, for the students who are weak academically, but strong athletically, they may never get to exercise their strength, because of their GPA. For some of these people, they do not have the means to pay for classes or join a sports club outside of school, and the school’s athletics programs are their only option.

High school athletic programs are one of the main ways an athlete can get recruited to college, and a significant number of SPHS students utilize this pathway. Opportunities like this make it even more important to hold athletics to the same importance as academics.

Recruited athletes, especially in Division 1, spend so much time training and practicing their sport, which is their form of “studying.” Especially in SPHS’ extremely academically competitive — some may say toxic — environment, forcing athletes to prioritize school work when they are not interested in it is simply impossible and unfair. Both outlets are viable options and should be treated as such.

A low GPA might affect not only an athlete’s future in terms of getting recruited, but also their physical and mental health.

Staying active helps maintain a healthy lifestyle. It has been scientifically proven to help reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes, and other life-threatening diseases. Along with improving physical health, athletics can relieve stress and build bonds beneficial to one’s mental health.

“Our athletics program, specifically varsity girls volleyball has been an outlet for me,” sophomore Mia Ramos said. “I have made several new friends and they have all become my family. We have that family mentality and I think that is so important for our connection.”

Although administrators acknowledge the many benefits of athletics, they believe that participating in athletics is not a guarantee for all students.

“I think [the grade requirement] is fair and reasonable,” SPHS athletic director Anthony Chan said. “The majority of our student-athletes never have an issue with ineligibility, but for those who do, it becomes a main reason that they will try to do better.”

However, inability to participate in the athletic programs due to a low GPA does not necessarily motivate students to do better academically. Some students need more assistance than just motivation to prosper academically. Therefore, there is no direct correlation that a grade requirement will raise an athlete’s low grade.

Students should have the right to participate in athletics, regardless of their academic status. If a student’s GPA becomes an issue, and they are exempt from athletics, they would be missing out on the countless opportunities. The grade requirement needs to be eradicated so each student can participate in the SPHS athletics program.

Math is the only subject that isn’t plagued by human idiocy and complicated by nuances. Though math can be expressed in different ways, the interpretation of symbols and numbers are the same. Even if the world catches on fire and explodes — which will happen in 29 years­— all mathematical concepts and theorems will forever remain unharmed and maintain their purity because logic can’t be argued against (contrary to what many Republicans might think).

Math isn’t racist like facial recognition or dominated by the patriarchy like history classes. Even though math is still heavily male-dominated, the thrill from the desire of seeking the truth stays the same. Math’s permanence between equations and variables separates it from other fields, detached from everything else, much like my current social life.

Math is also the only thing that is compatible with my black and white mentality. When anxiety floods my life, discovering satisfying relationships between equations and variables and hyper-focusing on irrefutable proofs and theorems that connect every concept in a perfectious harmony, fills the void. The rush of overcoming a difficult problem provides a sense of invincibility that lingers long after I set my pencil down.

Just like how math is its complete own identity, the same is with running. Math can be applied to virtually anything– engineering, biology, even areas of history like archaeology. Many people decide to take up running to improve their performance in other sports. Math and running are similar in that they are simple concepts but can extend on their own in much more gratifying and beautiful ways that can be appreciated on their own.

The endorphins that flood through me after I finish a race are the same as when I finally understand a new math concept.

Requiring constant practice, math and running are challenging at times, but they will always share the state of tranquility unreachable by anything else.

SPHS hires new water polo coach STORY ALISON WANG PHOTO ERIN LEE

what they look like. [we’re] trying to get into tournaments,” Garica said.

The SPHS Athletic Department promoted assistant coach Lindsey Garcia to head coach for boys and girls water polo mid-season in August 2021, after Michael Gonzales stepped down from the position.

To maximize practice time, she schedules varsity to practice in the morning before school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and in the afternoons on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Varsity is centered in skill building. During practices, players execute scrimmages with each other, like how to score or defend another person. Junior varsity is centered around individual player development and swimming basics, which involves more practice time.

Garcia first started playing water polo at age 13 in a local youth sports foundation and eventually joined the local Rose Bowl water polo team. She competed with the Rose Bowl team during her time at Eagle Rock High School in South California and later was recruited to play on the California State University; Northridge Division 1 team in college.

These past few years, boys water polo has dominated with two consecutive undefeated Rio Hondo League (RHL) seasons. Coming in, Garcia aims to maintain their victorious streak through consistent practices that focus on building teamwork and game execution skills.

“I think we’re going to do pretty decent in league. It’s kind of hard because we haven’t seen teams, so we don’t really know

“I think we have a good chance this year to go undefeated again in league,” Garcia said. “We have four really strong seniors this upcoming season. In general we have a really huge senior class; we have 12 seniors on varsity. There are only three people who aren’t seniors on varsity. [We’re] trying to make sure we have games and opportunities for everyone to play and making sure it’s a good environment.”

To gain more experience as a team boys water polo plans to compete in non-league games. Boys water polo to will challenge La Serna on Tuesday, Sept. 14 in a non-league game.

WITH YEARS OF TRAINING UNDER HER BELT, new varsity water polo coach Lindsey Garcia is prepared for a succesful season.

TIGER

16 SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

SPORTS

SPORTS

Season preview: Cross country expects another successful season STORY ELSIE WATERS PHOTOS ERIN LEE

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n spite of the testing circumstances, cross country brought home an array of victories in last year’s shortened season. The team is ready to do even more this season in hopes of keeping their winning streak alive and well. With new runners and fierce determination, that seems more than promising.

Cross country has consistently performed well in the Rio Hondo League, with trips to CIF competition practically guaranteed. Currently, Prep Cal Track ranks the boys and girls eighth and fourth in Division four in Southern Section, respectively, and the top seven teams make it to the statewide level.

“We want to bring [our performance] back to where we had it two years ago,” head coach Mike Parkinson said.

“We’ve been successful for many years and we just want to make sure that we can build up on that in the future.

But we want to win CIF.” A multitude of eager underclassman competitors have joined the roster and the focus has now shifted to rebuilding the culture of the team. The new freshmen and sophomores are starting to familiarize themselves with the dynamics of their respective teammates, a key goal in this upcoming season.

“We hope to bring the girls team closer together,” senior and co-captain of the girls varsity team Miranda Liu said. “We want to gel together the team and keep all the traditions going.”

The Division four varsity girls and varsity boys teams consist mainly of upperclassmen, including senior Brady Nakamura who holds a personal record of 15:20.6 minutes in the three mile event, and senior Sydney Morrow racked up 17:39.9. Talented freshman Abby Errington, who holds a personal record of 18:21 minutes for the three mile event is competing with the varsity team this season.

“[The chemistry of the girls team] is really nice. They’re all really supportive and very encouraging,” Errington said. “And it’s fun! It’s one of the reasons why I like [cross country] a lot.”

Each grade level has different mileage goals, but they all ultimately strive to build up their endurance by training consistently, all the while working to avoid injury.

Most cross country athletes run about 50-65 miles per week, but that’s made up of different workouts targeting different areas, such as speed training and mileage improvement. A typical week of training consists of three slow recovery runs, one hill and one speed workout, as well as a long run on Saturday ranging from 12 to 16 miles, with meets taking place usually once a week.

In addition, weight training is integrated into the athletes training schedules to prevent injury. They aim to strengthen their arms and legs through exercises like leg lifts, lunges, and squats. Varsity runners have more of a set weightlifting routine by now, knowing what muscles they need to strengthen to help improve their running performances.

With the amount of new runners, spirits are high in cross country. Each athlete has their focus set straight on victory, while also creating a positive team environment.

The teams are entering the season having lost several talented, now graduated athletes. However, new and returning runners are determined to give this season their all.

Cross country competed in their first official meet of the season, the Cool Breeze Invitational, on Friday, Sept. 3, where they raced in the competitive Sundown Showdown race, which pitted together the top teams from each division. The girls garnered 17th position out of 24, while the boys placed 24th out of 27.

Cross country will will be running Woodbridge, an invitational meet, on Friday, Sept. 17.

DESPITE LOSING GRADUATED SENIORS, the cross country team hopes to make a deep run into CIF and state.

Girls volleyball defeats Arcadia in three powerful sets STORY ELSIE WATERS PHOTO MICHELLE SHADMON Girls volleyball defeated the Arcadia Apaches on Tuesday, Sept. 7, winning all three sets and maintaining a strong defensive front. The second set proved more difficult as Arcadia tied 5-5, but South Pas was able to pull away substantially to secure a victory.

The first set was entirely in the Tigers favor. After acquiring the first point of the game with an instant attack by sophomore outside hitter Jenna Garner, the girls were able to not only maintain but increase their lead over the Apaches.

From there, tips like ones from senior outside hitter Abby Garner extended the Tiger’s lead by two points.

Strong and consistent straight serves from senior libero Alyssa Sokolow additionally added to their lead.

The Tigers put up an unwavering front; if their offense was lacking, their defense prevailed. A block by sophomore Ingrid Zahn and junior Ava Dorny extended their lead to 11-5. After a dig by Sokolow was followed with a tip over the net by Zahn, the score was brought to 12-7, and extended to 13 with another tip from Zahn.

SOPHOMORE INGRID ZAHN (25) LED TIGER DEFENSE, showcasing strong and consistent blocks that kept South Pas in the lead.

BUT WAIT! There’s more...

The Tigers offense only accelerated as time passed and kills like the one presented by sophomore Helena Foord rendered the Apaches defenseless. The contrast between the Tigers offense and the Apaches defense ultimately led to the Tigers securing the first set with a score of 25-11.

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South Pas entered the second set with just as much energy as the previous. A kill by senior Kennedy Taylor accelerated South Pas into an early lead.

Arcadia’s defense improved as time progressed and after successful plays, they found themselves down by only one point, with a score of 5-4. The lead continued to switch for the teams until Arcadia gained headway.

When Arcadia took the lead, South Pas a was cornered into calling a timeout, a move that proved useful as they returned with powerful spikes and serves. An attack initiated by Abby ended the set with a score of 25-17.

The intensity continued to increase and the third set took its toll on the Tigers. Multiple instances of miscommunication brought the Apaches’ score up, but only for a few plays.

Foord’s merciless attacks in combination with Dorny’s powerful serves increased the deficit between the teams, The Tigers initiated one final push in hopes of winning, and were successful in leading South Pas to a 25-22 victory in the final set.

“We did a good job of working on things we did in practice and inputting it to the game,” Jenna said. “Next game we can work on covering the ball, especially when we’re hitting out of system.”

The Tigers will compete in the Whittier tournament on Saturday, Sept. 11.

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